Thursday, July 22, 2010

The outrage among parents over Dalit or Lower Caste [sic] women cooking food for their children in schools has once again demonstrated the casteist face of our society.

'Upper caste' families are insistent that they would not send the kids to school if the children are served food cooked by Dalit women. In several places, villagers have turned violent and the cooks had to be sent away.

This is happening in the heartland of India, from Kanpur to Kannauj, Allahabad to Shahjehanpur and Farrukhabad to Bijnore. Despite that a Dalit woman is the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP), the caste prejudices remain strong at the ground level, especially in rural areas.

The State government recently ordered that Dalit women were to be appointed as cooks in schools under the mid-day meal scheme which is aimed at enrollment of poor children in schools. For 25 kids, the cook would be a Dalit, and in case of 100 children, two cooks including a Dalit and a 'general' woman would be hired.

Despite the loss of upper castes' clout, a Kayastha, Bania or Thakur woman is not likely to go for a cook's job in UP. A Brahmin woman belonging to poor family may however be found at a cook's place because Brahmins are numerous and not financilaly as strong as Banias [Vaishyas] or even Thakurs.

Otherwise, backward caste women are more likely to do this job. However, a Dalit woman is still not welcome. Such are the complexities of caste in contemporary Indian society. In some schools, teachers went on leave.

Elsewhere the are not cooking food but cleaning school premises for fear of hurting 'sensibilities'. In Kannauj 70 parents were booked by police for withdrawing their children from schools. But this is causing further hardening of stance.

For political purposes, Congress' Rahul Gandhi and BJP's Rajnath Singh may go and have food in Dalit households but practically untouchability is still practiced widely. The educated class of parents is least bothered about the criminality of their conduct and that these actions are corrupting the minds of their kids.

Surprisingly, it is not just the traditional upper castes including Brahmins, Rajputs, Banias and Kayasthas who are protesting the decision to appoint dalit women as cooks in schools, but the other backward castes [OBCs] are equally fierce in their opposition to Dalits.

Jats, Kurmis & Yadavs also ganged up against the Dalits. Muslims may not have openly reacted but they are no less casteist and when it comes to caste divide, readily align with the upper castes. And though Dalits comprise the biggest caste group (22%) in UP, the battle for honor is yet to be won despite the BSP ruling the state once again.

UP that has a population of around 200 million is today ruled by a Dalit woman. But that hasn't changed attitudes much though there has been a sense of empowerment amongst the weaker sections who remained at the periphery for centuries.

The open display of caste prejudices and such inhuman attitude towards Dalits haven't still send shockwaves across the country. In rural areas of UP, MP, Rajasthan, Haryana and also parts of South India, it is still a dream for many Dalits to wear shoes or ride horse in the marriage procession.

Such news items don't alarm the society much. While reservation in jobs has helped a section of Dalits attain financial security, for a vast majority the real fight for dignity is far from over. The recent spate of honour killings in which often OBCs were the perpetrators show that the cancer of casteism is spreading.

Caste may not appear as strong and as divisive a factor in cities, in countryside--towns and villages--this abhorrent apartheid continues to oppress millions. It was perhaps this reason that Dr BR Ambedkar had urged his followers to move to cities.

While communalism may be responsible for more deaths in indpendent India, the fact is that casteism is a much serious social evil that is often neglected and due attention is not given towards redressing the caste issues.

It is this reason that some media reports seemed to blame the government for taking the decision to appoint Dalit cooks and in turn fanning caste tensions. Sadly no progressive or reformist voice has been heard from the society against this anti-Dalit mindset.

Legislations and penal actions haven't changed the situation. Isn't it ironical that even today we, in India, commonly use terms like Upper Castes and Lower Castes?

Enraged, Sangh parivar workers attacked the channel's office and went on rampage. The sting operation was more shocking as a former BJP member of parliament was also caught on camera and a failed plot to target Vice-President Hamid Ansari at a function in Jamia Millia University was mentioned.

The fact that Indresh is not a fringe activist but top leader and close to RSS chief makes it even more serious. The BJP, which is the main opposition party takes orders from the Sangh, and is always ready to shield its masters.

During the investigation into Mecca Masjid, Ajmer Dargah and Malegaon blasts, already role of several RSS workers was found. Since independence, starting from Gandhi's killing, the RSS cadre was involved in numerous communal riots.

The report clearly shows that Pune-based chemistry professor held camps to impart training to radicals, a Delhi-based prominent doctor Dr RP Singh bought arms & ammunition and planned terror strikes while top RSS-BJP leaders were discussing that they had no faith in constitution.

Now once again, it's proved that there is a strong militant and anti-national group in RSS. But why no one even dares to take on Sangh Parivar. Why it's not termed a terror group? How its top leaders manage to get away by claiming that a few fringe persons may be involved when any other organisation that gets involved in one incident, is dubbed terror group.

Take for example the recent incident in Kerala where a newly floated political party PFI was demonized and almost dubbed as terror group for one incident in which a professor's palm was chopped off by its activist. Despite PFI leaders openly condemning it, there were raids on party offices and a witch-hunt followed.

In case of RSS, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena there is never any raid or sustained interrogation. Ram Sene leader Pramod Muthalik was caught on camera claiming that he could set off a communal riot for a fee but there was no action against his group.

Babu Bajrangi became a face of militant Hindutva in Gujarat and confessed that he murdered women and raped them. But he wasn't touched.

While Muthalik and Bajrangi were active in states ruled by BJP, the Shiv Sena and MNS have done the same in Congress-ruled Maharashtra where outsiders including Biharis and UP-ites have been targeted and yet the parties escaped the terror tag.

On Friday, a group of Shiv Sena activists brutally beat up Karnataka politician Syed Mansoor and other leaders of Seema Rakshan Vedike over the claim of Maharashtra on Belgaum district and blackened his face in a Zee TV channel's office in Kolhapur. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut termed the action as correct.

The offices of these groups aren't raided, their connections are never investigated and their leaders who openly pour out venom are not booked. It is no surprise that the radicals are getting bolder and bolder by the day, so much that they are even targeting Vice-President and planning to overthrow the state.

If SIMI operatives were involved in terrorism and it was banned, why not RSS and Bajrang Dal after all they also have their activists involved in terror plots? PFI's freedom march was banned but despite open display of arms, firing gunshots and holding training camps for years, Bajrang Dal or even Sanatan Sanstha is not reined in.

There are a host of reasons:

Firstly, today BJP has strong presence across the country and every step against RSS is strongly opposed by its workers. The party terms it political vendetta and goes out of the way to defend terror accused, just like its leaders targeted late Hemant Karkare.

Especially, when the Congress govt is firmly in saddle why should investigation be sped up as it may force BJP in a combative position or anger sections of majority community. A top bureaucrat had reportedly asked the investigators to go slow in Samjhata Express blast case.

There is a fear of the so-called Hindu votebank and the fact that a section of majorty community may not like strong action. Lack of activism among educated and secular middle-class is another reason. Besides, there are few NGOs or individuals who decide to file cases, take legal action against fanatic groups and then pursue the cases.

In the last several decades, pro-Hindutva elements have infiltrated several institutions. They include agencies that are vital in keeping tab on the anti-national forces and destructive organisations within the country. A single officer posted at a key place can sabotage the entire investigation.

Journalist Ashish Khetan, who did the breaking story in Mail Today apart from the sting operation in Headlines Today, says that there were attempts to botch up investigation from various quarters and after ATS chief Hemant Karkare's death, officers were reluctant to pursue cases because of the feeling that nobody wanted to burn their fingers.

The role of Saffron outfits in communal carnages like anti-Christian violence in Orissa's Kandhamal, Karnataka and numerous anti-Muslim pogroms is well-known and documented. RSS and Bajrang Dal were running the risk of getting dubbed terrorist groups in America after attacks of churches.

It's time that the government understands the seriousness of the issue. Just like SIMI, it should ban extremist Hindu organisations. BJP should also accept the reality, make its position clear and get rid of the fanatics from within the organisation.

Thursday, July 01, 2010

When the Shankaracharya and Imams meet, the event should get due attention and media coverage.

Especially, when both sides join hands for the society, unlike politicians who bring Sants or Ulema for political mileage.

The Shankaracharya, Jayendra Saraswati, said that Hindus and Muslims in India have always been like Lord Rama and Laxman and the distance that came up between the communities in the last couple of decades must be bridged back again.

"The mothers of Ram and Laxman were different [Kaushalya and Sumitra], yet the love among Dashrath's sons was unparalleled while Bali and Sugriv were born to the same mother but were enemies", he said referring to Hindu epic Ramayana.

Muftis, Qazis and other Ulema honoured Shankaracharya. Imam Organisation office-bearers said that all issues can be sorted out if religious leaders and community members come together for discussion rather than letting politicians take charge. Sanskrit mantras were chanted along with echos of Allah-O-Akbar in the same function.

All this may be dismissed as rhetoric but the truth is that the mainstream Hindu leaders like Shankaracharyas never got swayed by the right-wing political movements including the Hindutva wave. Else the frenzy created in the 80s-90s may have acquired another level.

It is to their credit, just like some of the major Islamic seminaries who remained calm during the movement. The speakers urged the gathering to revive the ganga-jumni culture and celebrate each others' festivals. The era when Hindus made tazias and Muslims helped in making the Dol, should be recreated.

One of the Shankaracharya's trust in Ayodhya is working for the benefit of Muslims also. He announced that another trust would be soon established to help unemployed Muslim youths through vocational training and assistance for entrepreneurship.

Even cynics must accept that such events do send a message to members of both communities. Jayendra Saraswati is the head of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in Tamil Nadu. The event was organised to mark his 75th birthday.

[Harmony exists all around us but is often ignored. Instead, stories of hate, discord and communalism get spread easily.

There are a million examples in our daily lives across India but they don't get promoted, hence, news of hate and discord gets heard more. Let's change it, now. This is a small attempt to change it through Communal Harmony Project]

For reading similar reports on this blog, Click the link HERE and also find out more about Communal Harmony Project

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